"My king said it might not be so. It's definitely not overthinking one's abilities, let alone underestimating the enemy's arrogance!"
"Yes, the combined overall strength of Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande is indeed superior to our army. Only when our army deals with one of them alone can we guarantee a sure victory! But why do we have to fight these two traitors at the same time so stupidly?" A decisive battle? Wouldn’t it be enough to defeat these two traitors one by one? First concentrate on eating one of the traitors, and then free up your hands to deal with the other traitor, wouldn’t it be enough?”
"Don't forget, Dou Jiande is only forming an alliance with Wang Shichong, and has not sent troops immediately. Now, whether it is in terms of time or space, we still have enough room to destroy Wang Shichong first, and then destroy Dou Jiande!"
Hearing Chen Sangliang's arrogant words, all the civil and military soldiers of the Sui army were dumbfounded, and quickly started to calculate carefully with Chen Sangliang's poison-filled head, and soon, the veteran Qu Tutong first raised questions, Said: "Your Highness, defeating the enemy one by one is indeed a good strategy to win more with less, but Wang Shichong is now guarding the city tightly, and we want to destroy him. It is definitely not that easy? Once this siege battle lasts for a long time, our army In Luoyang City, the old man is tired and morale is low, Dou Jiande leads the army to kill again, not to mention defeating two powerful enemies one by one, whether we can stop Dou Jiande's new force is a big problem?"
"There is no need to wipe out Wang Shichong first, and absolutely not immediately!" Chen Sangliang replied firmly: "Kill Wang Shichong first, and Dou Jiande will not come, so it is enough to beat Wang Shichong seriously! Wang Shichong beat a man who couldn’t take care of himself, forcing him to do everything possible to beg Dou Jiande to send troops to help him at any cost, and also let him have no power to make trouble when we fought against Dou Jiande. In this way, we can use a small amount of strength to contain Wang Shichong , Concentrate most of the power on Dou Jiande, and wait for work to fight against Dou Jiande's expeditionary division! First defeat Dou Jiande, and then go back and deal with Wang Shichong!"
Hearing Chen Sangliang's idea of playing wishful thinking, Qu Tutong was very moved, but after careful calculation, Qu Tutong still reminded: "Your Highness, such a tactic is easier said than done. Whether we can seriously injure Wang Shichong before Dou Jiande sends troops to help, not to mention how many troops we have left after we severely injure Wang Shichong, just how to injure Wang Shichong is a big problem. Wang Shichong is currently hiding in Luoyang City and can't hold on tightly. Your Highness I said that our gunpowder blasting tactics can't do anything to the walls of the Eastern Capital Imperial City, so what should we do?"
"That's right, our current siege tactics are very difficult to take down the imperial city and the outer city of the Eastern Capital quickly, but are we not afraid of the outer city of the Eastern Capital?" Chen Sangliang said with joy, "Wang Shichong has not given up on the outer city of the Eastern Capital yet , as long as we move fast enough, while taking down the outer city of the Eastern Capital, we can hit Wang Shichong's main force before the bandit army retreats into the imperial city. Also, Wang Shichong still has nearly 40,000 bandit troops stationed in Huzhou. Prison Pass and Luokou Cang, those two places are also rammed earth city walls, we can get in without much effort, taking these two places, not only severely damaged the strength of Wang Shichong's bandit army, but also mastered the Central Plains battlefield With the initiative, can we face Dou Jiande more calmly when he strikes?"
Only then did Qu Tutong shut up, but his expression obviously still had some worries. He was still worried about whether Chen Sangliang's tactic of swallowing elephants with snakes was too risky. Most other civil and military soldiers of the Sui Army were like this. Only Luo Shixin, Xue Renguo and Guo Feng's bold generals applauded loudly, believing that Chen Sangliang's tactic would be successful. Chen Sangliang, who believed that he would do better than the old Li's family, did not hesitate, and immediately made a decision and said: "That's it, first severely injure Wang Shichong's main force, and then capture Luokou Canghulao Pass, and fight Dou Jiande with ease! Kill Dou Jiande, and then kill Wang Shichong!"
Dictatorship has this advantage. Although most of the civil and military personnel of the Sui army were skeptical of Chen Sangliang's overly greedy and bold decision, since Chen Sangliang had made up his mind, the accomplices and running dogs still dared not object in the slightest. At Sang Liang's request, he immediately began to formulate a tactical plan to eliminate the main force of the enemy as much as possible in the outer city of Dongdu.
Then, another Sui army official suggested to take down Jinyong City, the most important defense city of the Eastern Capital, and then attack the outer city of the Eastern Capital with complete peace of mind. However, after careful consideration, Chen Sangliang shook his head and said: " You can't attack Jin Yong City first. Once Jin Yong City is broken, the old fox will inevitably make preparations in advance to abandon the outer city and withdraw to the imperial city in order to preserve his strength. It is to attack the outer city of Luoyang first, and then turn around to deal with Jinyongcheng. When attacking the city, it is enough to send an army to monitor the Jinyongcheng bandit army."
Feeling that what Chen Sangliang said made sense, the civil and military forces of the Sui Army re-discussed the tactical plan to capture the outer city of Luoyang first, and then Qu Tutong, Liu Heitai, Yuan Tiangang and others unanimously decided to set the main battlefield on the most open terrain. Chunmen, pretending to attack other city gates to contain the enemy's main attack on Shangchunmen to break the city. However, Chen Sangliang, who has always been cautious in his military style, went crazy this time as if he had been beaten with chicken blood. After a moment of calculation, he said viciously: "No! Shangchun Gate is not the ideal main battlefield, Hui'an Gate is! A feint attack Go to the Spring Gate and attack the Hui'an Gate!"
"Your Highness, the terrain around the Hui'an Gate is not open enough, which is not conducive to our main force deploying troops." Yuan Tiangang quickly reminded: "Also, Hui'an Gate is next to the Imperial City of the Eastern Capital, and the imperial city defenders of the bandit army can use bows and arrows Threatening our way of attack is not conducive to our siege."
"But after our army enters the Hui'an Gate, we can immediately cut off the way for the bandits from the outer city to move to the imperial city." Chen Sangliang said calmly: "If you want to eliminate more of the defenders of the outer city of the bandit army, you just have to It may be the first to break the Hui'an gate."
Wen and Wu of the Sui army looked at each other and smiled wryly. In desperation, Qu Tutong and Yuan Tiangang had no choice but to propose to attack Hui'an and Shangchun gates at the same time, and at the same time set up a false flag of Commander Chen Sangliang outside the Shangchun gate, so that Zheng Jun could touch it. Not knowing the true direction of the Sui army's main attack, they used elite troops to break through the Hui'an Gate first, and then broke through the Shangchun Gate, trying to eliminate Wang Shichong's vital forces as much as possible in the outer city battle.
Chen Sangliang pondered for a long time before reluctantly accepting this relatively safe tactic, but he specifically explained that a reserve team was prepared in advance for the situation in the eastern capital city, and immediately attacked the Luoshui bridge after breaking the city, cutting off the southern city of Luoyang and the imperial city. contact in order to destroy the enemy south city defenders. At the same time, Chen Sangliang made an extremely insidious decision to send troops to attack the city in the afternoon and attack the city at night, so that Wang Shichong's defenders of the imperial city were afraid that they would be killed by the Sui army in the dark and dared not open the city gates to release the defeated soldiers. Entering the city will create more opportunities for the Sui army soldiers to kill the enemy. All the civil and military soldiers of the Sui Army accepted the order with wry smiles, and they also murmured in their hearts: "Old thief Wang Shichong, you have found us, His Highness Tang Wang, as your son-in-law. It is really because your ancestors did not accumulate virtue."
In addition, while the civil and military members of the Sui Army were carefully discussing the specific tactics, Chen Sangliang also called his confidential secretary Sun Fujia aside, and whispered in his ear: "Send an absolutely reliable spy to catch up immediately." Go to Linming, try to get in touch with Wang Xuance, and tell him to lure Li Mi to encourage Dou Jiande to personally lead an army to reinforce Wang Shichong. If he succeeds, he can take the opportunity to come back."
After the strategic and tactical plan was finalized, the generals of the Sui army immediately deployed and prepared with all their strength. First, they left an army stationed in the Qianjin Fort that Wang Fubao had snatched to protect the road traffic. Luoshui set up a camp to deter Shangchunmen, and at the same time threatened Jin Yongcheng, and then immediately prepared all the siege equipment. Wang Shichong, who is familiar with his son-in-law's prudent military style, was really fooled. He expected that the unfilial son-in-law would first take Jinyong City and then attack the outer city of Luoyang. The deployment of heavy troops is not only to prevent the treacherous son-in-law from suddenly attacking Shangchunmen, but also to be ready to send troops at any time to appropriately share the pressure for Jin Yongcheng.
At the same time, Chen Sangliang, who had a reputation for hypocrisy in Luoyang City, the eastern capital, repeated his old tricks. He issued an appeal to the soldiers and civilians in Luoyang, declaring that after the city was broken, only the rebel Wang Shichong and his family would be punished. In a very sinister manner, he directly named Duan Da, Shan Xiongxin, Yang Qing, and Yang Wang, Wang Shichong's most important confidantes, and declared that even if they helped the emperor to commit crimes, he deserved to die, as long as he opened the city gate and led the army to surrender, he would let the past go and pardon the death penalty And award as appropriate. In order to alienate Wang Shichong's internal affairs and isolate the unpopular Wang Shichong family politically.
In addition, Chen Sangliang naturally had to put on a hypocritical appearance of loving the people like a son, announcing that all the people in Henan County would be exempted from all taxes, money and food this year. Using this little sweetness to win over the people in Luoyang also further demonstrated Wang Shichong's spring plowing season Still aggravating the injustice and cruelty of the people's corvee.
Although Wang Shichong strictly prohibited the dissemination of Chen Sangliang's call to action, Chen Sangliang, who had been prepared for a long time, ordered soldiers to use bows and arrows to shoot a large number of call to action into Luoyang City, and arranged for soldiers with loud voices to read out the content of the call to arms below the city, so that the guards on the city The army knows His Royal Highness Tang's benevolence and love for the people and his kind heart. In the end, it really played a role. The overwhelmed Luoyang people all hope that Chen Sangliang, who used to jump into the flood for the people to plug the gap, will rush into the city to rescue them as soon as possible. The civil and military officials of the puppet government are also relieved in their hearts. Since Chen Sangliang can even pardon Duan Da and Yang Qing, the chief culprits, as long as he surrenders after the city is broken, it will definitely not be a big problem to keep his head, wealth and life.
After a full seven days of careful preparation, at noon on the sixth day of March, the main force of the Sui army suddenly moved out. Liu Heitai led 10,000 troops northward to Jinyong City to monitor and restrain the Zheng army there. Chen Sangliang personally led 48,000 troops. The soldiers of the Qian Sui Army marched westward and lined up at the Shangchun Gate, and another 13,000 troops continued to march westward, and lined up at the Hui'an Gate just north of Luoyang without any hassle.
The unfilial son-in-law did not attack Jinyong City first, but directly attacked the outer city of Luoyang. Wang Shichong was also wary of this beforehand, and he was not too frightened by it. However, the unfilial son-in-law deployed a force that cannot be ignored outside Hui'an Gate , Wang Shichong felt that something was wrong, and he also had some doubts about the real purpose of his unfilial son-in-law. However, Duan Da thought that Chen Sangliang was trying to disperse the defenders of the Eastern Capital so that they could not rescue each other in the far distance. The pressure of the gate battlefield. Wang Shichong felt reasonable after hearing this, so he was a little relieved. In addition to preparing for the battle with all his strength, he also hurriedly prepared to abandon the outer city and withdraw to the imperial city at a critical moment.
Because of carrying ten heavy artillery pieces and a large number of heavy siege weapons, the Sui army's partial division under the command of Qu Tutong on the banner did not line up to the north of Hui'an Gate until it approached Shenshi; during this period, outside the Shangchun Gate Under the banner of Chen Sangliang, the main force of the Sui army had already started the routine artillery to open the way. Twenty artillery pieces fired ten rounds, smashing the tower of Shangchun Gate, and blasting the defenders at the top of the city so that they dare not look up. , Also through firepower reconnaissance, Wang Shichong has blocked the city gate corridor with sandbags.
Then the catapults of the Sui army came forward again, and more than two hundred catapults desperately poured stone bullets at the top of the city, smashing the top of Shangchunmen into a hole, and finally the long shieldmen and archers went into battle. The storm-like dense feather arrows covered the top of the city, and the defenders of Zheng Jun also fought back with bows and arrows. Chen Sangliang hated the most important aspect of the tough battle.
At the same time, the partial division of the Sui Army under the banner of Qu Tutong has also begun to pour artillery fire on the Hui'an Gate. First, it blasted the Hui'an Gate tower to pieces, and then destroyed the Deyou Gate tower of the imperial city on the right. , It also forced Zheng Jun's imperial city defenders to quickly block the gates of Hui'an Gate and Deyou Gate with sandbags, and cut off the road out of the city by themselves. Then Qu Tu Tongcai sent a team of trebuchets and bows and arrows forward to confront the defenders of Hui'an Gate to consume long-range weapon reserves.
When it was halfway through You hour, the fighting stopped suddenly. He saw the soldiers of the Sui army having dinner on the spot from a distance in the city. Wang Shichong knew that the Sui army was going to start a night battle, so he hurriedly asked the soldiers of his own army to eat as soon as possible, and prepared a lot of torches at the same time. And night battles such as bonfires. However, Li Shiying, an important counselor under Wang Shichong's command after Dai Zhou, saw that something was wrong, and ran to Wang Shichong and warned: "Your Majesty, the bandit army only dispatched troops at noon, and they first attacked with artillery and bows, delaying the time until near evening. Its intention seems to be to break through the outer city at night, and then severely injure our army in the street battles in the outer city, so that our army does not have enough troops to defend the imperial city. To be cautious, it is best for your majesty to immediately start deploying troops to withdraw and concentrate Prioritize the defense of the imperial city."
Hearing this suggestion, Wang Shichong hesitated for a while, but after careful calculation, Wang Shichong still shook his head and said: "I can't withdraw, the bandit army is already approaching the city, and if we withdraw and return to the imperial city, the soldiers in the outer city will definitely think that they have been abandoned by us. Seriously shake the morale of the army and give the bandits a chance to break through the outer city of Luoyang faster."
It cannot be said that Wang Shichong's worry is unreasonable. The Zheng army, who was exhausted from the battle, could not bear the blow of morale decline and military morale any longer, so Li Shiying did not insist too much, but reminded: "Your Majesty, be careful of Hui'an. If the thieves outside the gate enter the city from Hui'an Gate, they will immediately cut off the return route for the main force of Shangchun Gate. Your Majesty believes that it is best for His Majesty to deploy some reinforcements in advance of the reserve team deployed in Beishi Anhui Anmen force."
"No need." Wang Shichong laughed loudly and said, "I know the military habits of the little thief Chen Yingliang. Before the battle, we must first consider how to minimize the loss of soldiers. Hui'an Gate has our imperial city defenders." Covered by bows and arrows, he would never dare to launch the main attack from here!"
Facts proved that Wang Shichong's guess was correct. Just after Youshi, when the two Sui armies launched an attack at the same time as agreed, the battle at Shangchunmen was obviously several times more intense than that at Hui'anmen. In the first wave of siege alone, the soldiers of the Sui army threw more than 600 flying ladders and more than 50 pointed wooden donkey carts to Shangchunmen. , can not be handed over.
On the Hui'anmen side, the scale of the battle was much smaller, but the intensity was not higher than that of Shangchunmen. During the fierce battle, artillery bombarded the northwest corner of the Luoyang Imperial City continuously, suppressing the Zheng army's bow and arrow troops on the city, flying While the ladder ants were attacking the city, they also threw a large number of pointed wooden donkey carts into the city wall.
Here we must also introduce what is a pointed wooden donkey cart. This siege weapon invented by Hou Jing is a four-wheeled cart. The cart has a roof that looks like a roof to prevent arrows, and can also be effectively slid away from the city. The Tibetans in the car push the cart forward, and they can hide under the car to dig the city wall by leaning on the city wall. Only by concentrating a large number of boulders or dovetail torches can it be effectively destroyed. It used to be quite common in the era of rammed earth city walls. siege weapons.
However, excavating the city wall only by manpower is naturally slow, so Chen Sangliang didn't pay much attention to this weapon when he used troops before, and rarely made or played it. It was the rise of another siege tactic that needed to effectively excavate the city wall. Only then did Sangliang pick up this weapon and manufacture it in large quantities, and use it as the main weapon for siege. - Be a treasure when you need it, and a grass when you don't need it. From this point, we can also see how realistic and snobbish Chen Sangliang is besides being devoid of conscience.
The puppet government actually suffered a great loss from this new tactic in the Xin'an War, but it is a pity that when Xin'an City was broken, it was also at night, and the sky was too dark. What method collapsed the city wall of Xin'an. Therefore, even if a certain number of Xin'an defenders fled back to the eastern capital, the puppet government still did not understand the reason for the collapse of Xin'an City, and naturally did not pay enough attention to the pointed wood donkeys that Chen Sangliang dispatched in large numbers for the first time. The main force was concentrated on dealing with the Sui army's ants attacking the city, and did not fully deal with the Sui army soldiers who were digging the rammed earth city wall—anyway, there were not a few hours, and the Sui army soldiers would never want to dig a road into the city. And even if it is dug out, it can be easily dealt with.
In addition, the strong combat effectiveness of the soldiers of the Sui Army who attacked Hui'an Gate is also an important reason why the soldiers of the Zheng Army have no time to care about others. Even if only one soldier of the Sui Army kills the city wall, he can usually kill and wound several Zheng Army soldiers. , to cover the next companion to go up the city from the flying ladder, so the defenders of Hui'an Gate tried to use their strength to deal with the Sui army attached to the ants, and had no time and energy to attack the pointed wooden donkey carts under the city.
Knowing nothing about the new tactics of the Sui army naturally had to pay a heavy price. After more than half an hour of fierce fighting, when Wang Shichong, who was sitting in the imperial city, was nervously watching the progress of the battle at Chunmen on the main battlefield, the nearby At the battlefield of Hui'an Gate, there were two loud noises, one after the other. The sound was like a huge thunder, and the volume far exceeded the sound of the Sui army's artillery firing. Even if the distance was far enough, it shook the window lattices of the palace. Trembling slightly. Hearing these two loud noises, Wang Shichong was stunned for a moment, and then an ominous premonition suddenly surfaced in his heart, and he said to himself: "What happened? Don't have any accidents in Hui'an Gate, then I will count it immediately." Withdrawing the troops from the outer city will definitely lead to heavy losses..., bah! No! Certainly not!"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty is bad!"
Those who should come will always come, and soon, a guard of the imperial city rushed up to the Jinluan Hall, screaming like a pig before he could salute, "Your Majesty! Something is wrong! East of Hui'an Gate!" The city wall above suddenly collapsed, and two sections collapsed!"
"What?!" Wang Shichong stood up in shock, his face suddenly turned pitch black.
"There is more." The guard screamed again: "Also, the banner of the bandit commander outside the Hui'an Gate suddenly changed to Chen Yingliang's banner of the king of Tang! The bandit army is aggressively attacking, and they are rushing into the city from the gap in the city wall! "
"It's been tricked!"
Wang Shichong's pitch-black face turned pale again, and his clothes were soaked in cold sweat all over his body. After finally regaining his senses, the first thing Wang Shichong did was to roar wildly, "Quick! Send an order! Let all the defenders of the outer city Withdraw all to the imperial city! Hurry up, or it will be too late!"